Nutthawat WichieanbutThailand must urgently upgrade its flood and water management systems as climate change intensifies extreme weather, experts warned at the Water Resilience Forum 2026 on Monday. He cited global engineering solutions such as Singapore's "sponge city" concept, Japan's giant underground flood tunnels and the Netherlands' sea barriers, saying Thailand should develop its own flood management model suited to local conditions. Integrated measures to reduce upstream water flows and divert excess water to the sea have helped prevent major inundation, he said. "We don't have a dam to control water at the river's mouth, which makes Bangkok highly vulnerable to climate change," Mr Chadchart said. Victoria Elema, team lead for international water affairs at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, told the event that the Netherlands has successfully reduced flood risks through the Delta Works programme, which includes dams, sluices, locks, dykes and storm surge barriers.

Source: Bangkok Post January 27, 2026 22:39 UTC